Ever since the moment he first flashed across our screens at the end of the third episode of True Detective, Reggie Ledoux — the show’s sick, twisted, meth-cooking prime murder suspect — has haunted fans of the HBO drama, and he continues to haunt many of us after having seen Sunday night’s episode.

The actor who portrayed Ledoux, Utah native Charles Halford, was nice enough to spend a few minutes chatting with us yesterday. He talked about his overall experience playing Ledoux on the show, the “McConelsons,” drinking Woody Harrelson’s juice, and a crazy, random night out in New Orleans he had with Richard Simmons during filming, among other things. Enjoy.

UPROXX: Regarding the scene in the woods we saw on Sunday night. How much time was spent in the makeup chair getting all of those tattoos strategically placed all over your body?

CHARLES: Well there were the tattoos and the beard and they also bleached me out. It was probably like four, maybe five hours when they had to go from scratch the first day and then once we kind of knew where everything was placed it was easier. It was a long time and the day that they did the brains it was like seven hours in the chair, something like that.

UPROXX: Oh wow. That leads to another question I had — I was wondering how much of your head exploding was actually shot on scene versus, you know, special effects in post production.

CHARLES: It was a lot of makeup and I think they threw some good special effects on it to really sell it. Cause yeah they just had my head just explode. I mean the makeup was awesome. The makeup artist did an amazing job on everybody in the show. She deserves all the awards. Like, everybody on that show was just amazing, but she was especially. I remember her just staying up all night to get it right. That’s what’s so cool about HBO — you had super huge stars and a head of the class director and ground-breaking writing, but it felt so much like an indie film. Like she stayed up all night the night before making the blob that she put on my head.

UPROXX: Back to Reggie’s tattoos, there seems to be some debate online about whether or not Reggie had the spiral symbol on his back that Dora Lange’s ex-husband Charlie claimed he had while they bunking together in prison. I don’t know if you can talk about this or not. Was that symbol/tattoo there and some of us just missed it? Or not?

CHARLES: Yeah, no he’s got it, it’s branded on there, like right above the pentagram on his back, between his shoulder blades.

UPROXX: So you had to wear these tattoos for how many days?

CHARLES: Well they were good for a couple of days. It just saved everybody time if I could keep them clean, you know. But check it out — the Hyatt where I was staying ended up being like a prison because I had Swastikas on neck and stuff like that beard. I couldn’t even leave the Hyatt because I didn’t want to go out in the street as Reggie Ledoux.

UPROXX: Well here’s the question I think everyone wants to know: Did you at least get to smoke weed with Matthew McConaughey and/or Woody Harrelson?

CHARLES: No. They didn’t even allow me to drink while I was down there. Like, I’d never been to New Orleans before and I couldn’t drink. They didn’t want me drinking because when you sweat out the alcohol it effects the tattoos and it effects the beard. So I’m like, “Are you serious?” I’m concerned but I’m about to work with f*cking Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey, right? I’m kind of thinking a glass of scotch is in line. But at least I got to drink some of Woody Harrelson’s juice.

UPROXX: What do you mean?

CHARLES: Woody Harrelson, he’s got a dude that makes juice for him on set. You know beet juice, kale juice. He’s vegan and I’m vegan actually. So we had that in common. But no we didn’t get to smoke weed together. I didn’t get to smoke any weed with the McConelsons.

UPROXX: Well is there a story from your True Detective experience that you’ll always remember and will probably be telling for the rest of your life?

CHARLES: On my flight down there Richard Simmons was — I’m not making this sh*t up, dude — Richard Simmons was on that flight, heckling me the whole time down there. He finds out I’m doing this show on HBO and he asks me to go out to dinner with him and his manager. We go to this, I don’t know some crazy place, it was surreal. It’s like I’d never been to New Orleans and then I’m out with Richard Simmons. The next day I’m in the chair getting my hair bleached. It was so ridiculous.

UPROXX: So you’re on the flight with Richard Simmons. He somehow finds out you’re on True Detective and invites you out. That is indeed ridiculous. I remember him being in New Orleans a few months back and word about it was all over the place because he was just running around doing all sorts of Richard Simmons things. I remember it very distinctly.

CHARLES: Well he’s from here right? He’s like born and raised here?

UPROXX: Yeah, he’s from New Orleans.

CHARLES: He was super nice. But he can’t not be noticed. Like every third person that came on the plane, he would be like, “Oh and you’re just a magnificent little so-and-so” and “you’re just a big lumberjack who loves his mother.” And then I fell asleep during the flight and I woke up and he was like, “Were you dreaming? What kind of dreams were you having?” He was right in my ear. I’m like, I can’t believe this is happening to me. I’ve never flown first class. I’ve never been to New Orleans and now I got Richard Simmons in my ear, you know asking me about my dreams and trying to give me some psych read or something.

UPROXX: That’s so great. That’s amazing.

CHARLES: So you’re from New Orleans. What’s the big famous oyster place that’s in the Hilton or whatever?

CHARLES: Dragos. I have a napkin where he he wrote, “Meet me at Dragos, Richard.” It was Richard, his manager, like his whole team was there, and everybody was super nice when we went out. They’ve all worked for him for like 20 years. Like he’s a total good dude. But then we were walking down Bourbon Street and he stops for everybody to take photos, was totally gracious and then the next morning I was in the chair about to make True Detective telling everybody about how I like tore up the town with Richard Simmons the night before.

Charles Halford

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UPROXX: How did it feel to haunt the nation for a few weeks? That initial image of you walking around wearing a gas mask and holding a machete was everywhere. I mean I was seeing it Photoshopped into other photos, friends of mine were e-mailing and texting it me. It had to be sort of surreal for you.

CHARLES: It’s been kind of insane. You have to credit Nic (Pizzolatto) and Cary (Fukunaga) for just nailing it. But yeah, I’ve just been kind of letting it unfold. And trying to have some fun with it. Like the Twitter thing has been totally new to me. And it wasn’t until somebody turned me on to you guys’ article on me that I think it got like real for me, you know.

UPROXX: Is that when you realized that you were suddenly kind of famous and people like me were digging around looking at your social media accounts and stuff like that?

CHARLES: Yeah, but then again I guess that’s why social media is there. It’s been really strange. And I’m just really happy to be a part of it, you know? It’s cool. Like me and Brad, the guy who plays Charlie Lange, hooked up on Twitter. Now we’re going to go hang out.

UPROXX: Back to that scene and the first brief glimpse the audience got of Reggie Ledoux — can you settle an argument for me that’s been going on with some of our commenters? In that scene was that a jock strap you were wearing or tighty-whities?

CHARLES: Oh yeah it was jock strap.

UPROXX: One last question. How did you come to be cast as Reggie? What was that process like?

CHARLES: I will say I owe a tip of the hat — a big, big tip of the hat — and I’m in a debt of gratitude to Cary Fukunaga. Like he did me a solid on this one. I had the pleasure of working with him back in 2006 when he was at the Sundance Institute. He was developing Sin Nombre, it got to be his debut feature. It was an interesting experience. I was a stock actor at the Sundance that year. I’m from Salt Lake City, Utah originally. So I had the good fortune of being involved with the Sundance Institute. They developed projects in the summertime at the directors labs. I’m sure you’ve heard of them. And so I had done that a couple of years and Cary was there one of the years and he actually had me playing a, I mean it’s strange but I was like playing one of the heavies in Sin Nombre, which is like, would eventually be cast by like, you know, really terrifying kind of Mexican gangsters. But we became friends. When (True Detective) came around and his name came across my desk I just reached out to him. The role I originally read for didn’t work out but then Reggie came along and it somehow worked.

UPROXX: I’m more than sure you’ll be back to New Orleans at some point and when you are look me up and I will make sure you drink properly next time you’re here.

Fuck Wahlburgers, I will watch “The McConelsons” all day, every day. This needs to happen. Driving around the country in a beatup RV, smoking weed, drinking kale juice, stealing hoodies from Trader Joes customers (Frotcast listeners know what I’m talkin about) and just generally being awesome would be a big step up for reality TV programming.

I hate to diasagree with Otto, (because I’m afraid of graphs), but the best part of this was clearly hsi quoting Richard Simmons telling some random passenger “you’re just a big lumberjack who loves his mother.” I mean, Jesus, I’m still laughing at that picture.

Just to throw this out there but Halford seems like a decent guy who’s pretty happy to get some notice and happy to respond with actual answers instead of one-line “Yeah, it was cool” crap. Good for him.

Years ago, I used to know a guy that was originally from Metarie whose dad went to seminary with Richard Simmons. Neither went into the preisthood. His dad said that Richard was an odd fellow even then.

Good interview, CB. Helford seems like a good guy, but calling BS on not getting down with the McConelsons. A made-up story just like the shoot-out in the swamp; the McConelsons bring the awesome wherever they go.

And we need a dedicated, fully functional and monitored True Detective thread at all times. I am obsessed with this show; so fucking good. Got home late (for a school night, anyway) from my kid’s ski team practice, and caught the last half hour, then re-watched my DVR version from the start. Simply the best thing ever – bar none. A few observations, all subject to debate and all likely 100% incorrect:

1. In the preview for next week, it ends with 2002 Rust interviewing a young, dark-haired girl in what appears to be a psychiatric ward. She makes ominous, how else, reference to the scarred man making her watch. I think this is the girl Rust and Marty saved from the U-Haul. In the voiceover, Rust says the (dead) boy had been missing since January, and the girl hadn’t been reported yet. When he said this, we all assumed that she was missing only a short time. By the end of the episode, we know that there was a pattern of deleting missing persons reports, and she may have been at the LeDoux compound for some time. No longer catatonic, she can tell Rust what she saw 7 years earlier. (Was this already pointed out? If so, sorry.)
2. Rust isn’t involved in any way, shape or form in 1995 stuff, and don’t believe he is involved in 2012 stuff. Marty knows he wasn’t involved in 1995 stuff because if, as the 2012 detectives believe he was, then the entire arc with the biker gang becomes unnecessary, something Marty can’t tell them. 2012 detectives clearly state that they believe Rust led the investigation, found all the clues, used LeDoux as a patsy (because he knew him from narco days), and that it wasn’t a coincidence that Donna showed up right after he gets on the job. But if Rust did lead investigation, he could and would have ginned up a way to LeDoux without going back deep undercover with the bikers and the resulting shit storm. Rust clearly has nothing to do with Donna Lange’s death, or any prior ones, Marty just can’t tell them why they are wrong without implicating both of them in a couple of felony murders.
3. Rust’s 2012 adoption of LeDoux’ beliefs is of some concern. Rust’s entire speech on M-brane (sp?) is just an expansion of the stuff LeDoux spouted, and which he rejected (“Is that Nietsche – shut the fuck up!”) However, the 2012 Rust seems to be on board with at least some of LeDoux’ world view.
4. I want to know what Rust watches on TV. Was he watching “Friends,” a “Wire” fan. Can’t see him watching any TV, but sitting on the couch channel surfing with his doctor girlfriend is a bit odd.
5. Why did Rust lose it with the Pharmacy Killer? He had no problem extracting a confession from him, but loses his shit almost instantly as soon as the Yellow King is mentioned. From 1995 to 2002, and until the Pharmacy Killer, we are led to believe that Rust was nothing short of a shining start detective, had his personal life somewhat in order, and that although something may have been nagging on him, he wasn’t consumed with the Donna Lange murder. He believed he got the guy, too. Yet one comment from PK causes him to go off the rails? Seems like he could have worked him just like he had, and extracted all the information he needed at that point.

@evilbanker First, can I cash an out-of-state, post-dated two party check? Second, that was Tuttle, the now-deceased Governor’s cousin, who is a reverend and who ran the school LeDoux’ victim went to and which Rust now finds the demoncatchers/stars/wall art.

@Otto Man #1. Captain could absolutely be in on it. Despite his goofy dipshit vibe, he has put the most heat on Rust. And even made a comment like “couldn’t you get shot” to him after shootout.
#5. Really? Remember when Marty and Rust were eating tacos or whatever, and Marty said that Rust’s problem was that he couldn’t differentiate between a fact and a theory, or something to that effect. Rust nonchalantly brushed if off with “I don’t think so.” I think Rust is perfectly OK with being wrong, with not knowing the answers, just obsessive about finding them. And, if he is just reacting to the possibility that they messed up in 95, I can understand that, but still think reaction misplaced.

I think it’s a different girl, at least if it’s 2002. I’d have to look at it again but I didn’t think she looked 7 years older than the girl they rescued in 1995. I thought it was a different girl. Thinking about it as I type this however I don’t know why that would make sense, so you’re probably right.

I agree that neither Rust nor Hart is involved in the murders, 1995 or 2002. Good call as to why Hart would hold back. i thought he was starting to come around to the detectives’ point of view, especially after I saw the previews with what looked like a 2002 Hart trying to get at someone, and only Cohle would piss him off that much.

I’m not sure Cohle is adopting LeDoux’s beliefs. I’m starting to get persuaded by some of the “Cohle is still in deep cover arguments”, in which case it would make sense for him to spout that crap to smoke out more suspects. On the other hand the show’s motto is “touch evil and evil touches you”, so it’s quite possible evil just caught Cohle with a sucker punch and now he’s totes nuts brah.

I thought that whole scene with the TV was a set up for why Cohle left her. He was looking at her like he just didn’t understand her anymore and couldn’t do the couples things where they mindlessly watch TV together. Either that or she was looking for the Kardashians, in which case I hope he killed her.

Otto’s probably right about the reaction but I’m with you Mookie, I thought that rang false with the character. The Cohle we’d been told about up to that point would not have been happy with finding out they killed the wrong guys but he should’ve been able to adjust on the fly without slapping the shit out of the guy.

@ Mookie: Ok, then governor by proxy, lol. And yes, you can cash an out of state two party postdated check as long as the date you cash it is on or after the post date and the two parties have signed on the back transferring it to you. Checks are a negotiable instrument.

I shot a little congratulatory message to Halford over Facebook after reading the initial UPROXX article about him. Something along the lines of “you’ve been outed on UPROXX, which I’m sure will lead to reddit and other internet-fame, so congrats and best of luck”.

He said “And it wasn’t until somebody turned me on to you guys’ article on me that I think it got like real for me, you know.”

This is the best written, best acted, most intense series EVER. I think Charles Halford did a great job as Reggie Ladoux. Scary dude. I also think this is Matthew McConaughey’s best acting gig, though I hear he’s really good in “Dallas Buying Club,” which I haven’t seen.

In cast you all haven’t read this article, it lends some interesting insight into the writing. After reading this, I want to go back and watch every episode again (but I would do that anyway):